Can India continue its tradition of carrying the absolute best batsman in the world after Kohli?

[Bhaijaan]

From the Little Master Sunny Gavaskar to the Batting God Sachin Tendulkar to the King Kohli, for 5 decades India has had the pleasure and privilege of being in possession the absolute best batsman in the world. It is an achievement that every Indian can be immensely proud of.

From the 1970s this great cricket nation has lead the cricket world in terms of batting.

Gavaskar and Tendulkar both broke the record of most runs and centuries scored and Kohli might well complete India’s trinity of world record holders. No other cricket nation in last 50 years or perhaps in the history of the game could boast of such hegemony.

India, we salute you for this!

But now every cricket fan is wondering if India will continue this tradition and whether someone will come along who will take it from Kohli and reach the same heights.

Is India ready?

Can India give another batting genius to world cricket and continue its legendary leadership of cricket world in batting?

Can India extend its batting hegemony from 50 years to 70 years?

It’s the big question.

What do you think.

Please share with us. Smile with us. Celebrate with us.

Taqliya.

Bhaijaan.

 

[Abdullah Rabbani]

No doubt, but pakistan overtake india in coming years like before Tendulkar...

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

I think Shaw is going to be that.

The kid is a level above anyone in his age group and a lot better than most international batsmen. Serious talent.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Hasn’t KL Rahul already taken up the mantle from Kohli?

 

[Bhaijaan]

I think Shaw is going to be that.

The kid is a level above anyone in his age group and a lot better than most international batsmen. Serious talent.

Interesting.

I hope Shah is aware the expectations are high being an Indian. If he’s to considered an Indian batting great in this era he must hit a minimum of 40 test hundreds. Anything less than that is unacceptable given he’s debuted at 18.

 

[Marathonrunner]

Shubham Gill has bright future too. I believe he was man of the tournament in U19 World Cup , highest rungetter and scored century against arch rival Pakistan .

 

[Hasan123]

They will find another star. India are the batting factory of world cricket.

 

[Savak]

Well if Pakistan can eventually stop producing 90 mph plus speed demons, why can't India eventually stop producing world class batsmen? It happened to Australia as well.

 

[Junaids]

Oh really?

I could have sworn that it has gone:

1969-1979 Barry Richards
1979-1991 Viv Richards
1992-2005 Dead heat between Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar and then Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting
2005-2010 No outstanding batsman
2010-2018 AB De Villiers

Scoring the most total runs at a lower average just means that you weren’t as good but went on and on and on.

 

[Ab Fan]

I would say, Shubhman Gill has that potential and is on his way to be the next big deal in Indian cricket.

However, things can change in no matter of time.

Pakistan, a team known for factory of pace bowling, had Imran Khan in late 70s-80s, followed by Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis all through 90s, followed by S. Akhtar in late 90s-mid 00s. However, Akhtar ended up as unfulfilled potential and so did Mohammed Asif and whoever have come for Pakistan in last 17-18 years.

Hopefully, that won't be the case with India anytime in near future and they continue to produce top quality batsmen.

 

[rudra]

Shaw has potential. Gill may be another one.

 

[Sachin136]

Oh really?

I could have sworn that it has gone:

1969-1979 Barry Richards
1979-1991 Viv Richards
1992-2005 Dead heat between Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar and then Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting
2005-2010 No outstanding batsman
2010-2018 AB De Villiers

Scoring the most total runs at a lower average just means that you weren’t as good but went on and on and on.

So then why do you have Viv in that list? Should have Border or Miandad instead, who scored more runs and also averaged higher in that period.

Or Barry, who barely played real cricket.

 

[Junaids]

So then why do you have Viv in that list? Should have Border or Miandad instead, who scored more runs and also averaged higher in that period.

Or Barry, who barely played real cricket.

How many SuperTests did Sachin play?

 

[kingusama92]

Shubman Gill is going to be the one if he reaches his potential.

 

[Slog]

Gavaskar was never the best batsman in the world for any extended period of time

 

[Tusker]

How many SuperTests did Sachin play?

310 ... let me know if and when you want to discuss things like batting techniques .
. Last time I asked that question you promptly ran away.

 

[BreadPakoda]

On a serious note, I hope its Shaw. That kid sure has some potential.

 

[Sarwar89]

Nobody is best until someone plays minimum 50 Tests and averages 99.95.

Sir Don was is and will be the greatest. Nobody has even averaged 65, post Don Retirement.

 

[Bilal7]

Gavasker was never the best in the world. Kohli has only just become the best in the world, after Amla and ABD have regressed/retired and Smith is banned. Kohli was not even top ten for the better part of this decade and Sachin was a shell of himself after 2011.

Sachin, Lara and Ponting shared that "Best" moniker during their heydays. Kallis was never far especially towards the end of the 00s. Yousuf had the greatest year of any test batsman during '07 and then you have Sanga and Younis who outperformed any Indian batsman from 2010 to their respective retirements.

However, you have my permission to continue trolling.

 

[Suleiman]

There will never be another Kohli like there never has been another Sachin. All these 15 year olds who hate on Kohli don't realize they're in the presence of a legend. Actually they are in denial that their team doesn't have a Kohli, and that he is potentially greater than all of their batting legends combined. Let that sit and marinate for a minute, before pulling it out of the oven.

Even if Kohli was born in Pakistan or South Africa, the other 2 greatest champion teams of our times, he would still have his killer instinct. But, India really refined him and smoothed out the edges with their batting culture and pro set-up and made him more polished and professional.

A good system like India's will not produce Kohli after Kohli or Sachin after Sachin. But it will make any batsman with an iota of talent maximize their talent to their limit. Their batting culture though, will pave way for future bats like Kohli and Sachin. Just like Pakistan will keep producing raw talented pacers but didn't have the system to refine them, even though that is changing now with Shaheen Lala Jr. Afridi, Hassan Ali and Mo Abbas and so many others in domestics these days.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Sachin is head and shoulders above anyone of his era. ALL FORMATS COMBINED.
Mentioning younis, Yousuf alongside sachin is pure trolling. Remember we are talking about all formats.
Kohli is miles ahead of smith, all formats combined.
But yeah viv was better than sunil due to his odi record.
But still gavaskar was the best test batsman of his era, a sureshot opener in all time x1 based on hard and cold facts.

 

[BreadPakoda]

I am actually looking forward to India producing the greatest fast bowler after McGrath (90s and mid 00s) and Steyn (post mid '00).

Hopefully we can unearth a gem.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Gavasker was never the best in the world. Kohli has only just become the best in the world, after Amla and ABD have regressed/retired and Smith is banned. Kohli was not even top ten for the better part of this decade and Sachin was a shell of himself after 2011.

Sachin, Lara and Ponting shared that "Best" moniker during their heydays. Kallis was never far especially towards the end of the 00s. Yousuf had the greatest year of any test batsman during '07 and then you have Sanga and Younis who outperformed any Indian batsman from 2010 to their respective retirements.

However, you have my permission to continue trolling.

You yourself admitted that sachin was better than lara.
As for smith vs kohli, kohli is far better odi and t20 batsman. So overall its nit even close.
Yeah gavaskar wasn't the best of his era due to mediocre odi returns but still he is a sureshot in atg x1 openers.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Gavaskar is nowhere near Viv overall. Viv is the GOAT batsman in ODIs. Agree with Tendulkar and Kohli however.

 

[jagatk]

Gavaskar is nowhere near Viv overall. Viv is the GOAT batsman in ODIs. Agree with Tendulkar and Kohli however.

10000+ runs at an average above Richards and 34 centuries to go alongside and remember richards had the privilege of playing with the most dangerous bowlers of his era not facing them.

 

[Bilal7]

You yourself admitted that sachin was better than lara.
As for smith vs kohli, kohli is far better odi and t20 batsman. So overall its nit even close.
Yeah gavaskar wasn't the best of his era due to mediocre odi returns but still he is a sureshot in atg x1 openers.

I personally prefer Sachin over the other two but that is my personal opinion, not the view shared by the rest of the cricketing world. Besides, Sachin was not always better than his rivals. Do you really believe, from the bottom of your heart, that Sachin was better than Ponting during Ponting's incredible peak?

OP is making it sound like only an Indian has sat on the "Best" batsman's chair for the past 50 years. Of course, he doesn't really beleive that himself but I wanted to clarify for the benefit of some Pakpassion Indians who will no doubt believe this.

Smith is not Kohli's only competitor. What about before 2015-16? Who was Kohli then compared to the likes of Amla, Kallis, KP, Clarke, Sangakkara, Younis and ABD? Indian batsmen have definitely been up there and a couple have enjoyed stints as the "Best" but the OP is completely false.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Kohli was not the best batsman since 2008-2015. ABD was better than Kohli in both tests and ODIs. ABD is still arguably better in ODIs due to his World Cup stats. So I retract my statement, Kohli has only been the best in the world since 2016-present.

 

[Mamoon]

Well if Pakistan can eventually stop producing 90 mph plus speed demons, why can't India eventually stop producing world class batsmen? It happened to Australia as well.

India’s production of top batsmen is a systematic process. They may not have a Kohli or a Tendulkar in every generation, but they will never be short of world class batsmen.

On the other hand, Pakistan was and is banking on producing talent by luck.

The problem with Australia is that although their domestic cricket is great, they have very small population and also face stiff competition from other sports.

As a result, it is only natural for them to go throw such phases where they simply cannot produce enough top players. It happened to them in the 80’s and it is happening again, although their bowling attack is still top notch. However, they will always bounce back because of their strong sporting culture.

India has the luxury of a bigger talent pool than all other cricket countries combined, and although football is picking up at a rapid pace, it is going to take decades before it (if ever) gets to remotely compete with cricket in terms of popularity.

 

[aukhan]

Looking at some of their younger batsmen it is safe to say it will continue after kohli. Even their bench strength is better than our top 6 barring Babar azam.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Hasn’t KL Rahul already taken up the mantle from Kohli?

This. And it was OP who said this didn't he?

 

[Itachi]

Well if Pakistan can eventually stop producing 90 mph plus speed demons, why can't India eventually stop producing world class batsmen? It happened to Australia as well.

Difference between BCCI and PCB is BCCI choses one player with potential and sticks to him no matter what. Kohli wasn't this big in 2011-12. But he was persisted. A professional setup helps great deal. One aspect that PCB lacks.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Gavaskar is nowhere near Viv overall. Viv is the GOAT batsman in ODIs. Agree with Tendulkar and Kohli however.

If Viv is a greater batsman than Sunny Gavaskar then Andrew Symonds is a greater batsman than Kumar Sangakkara.

It is test cricket that means the most and in the format Gavaskar was a far superior overall batsman and that is rightfully reflected in Gavaskar making more ATG test XIs as an opener than Viv in the middle order where most people put Tendulkar, Lara well above.

Having said that i respect your right to differ.

 

[Bhaijaan]

I am actually looking forward to India producing the greatest fast bowler after McGrath (90s and mid 00s) and Steyn (post mid '00).

Hopefully we can unearth a gem.

If that happens that would be the day cricket would have died down in major nations. Due to genetics Indians can never become GOAT fast bowlers. A fact Indians need to admit as much as it hurts them,

 

[Ab Fan]

I think India's downfall in cricket will start when cricket starts getting stiff competition from other sports in India as well. The change will happen and is bound to happen but it is to be seen how long it will take for other sports like football, particularly, to generate or rather shift the whole interest of population from cricket.

Till then, India should do well as they have got population, power, talent and a very good domestic setup for players to evolve.

 

[Harshu814]

If that happens that would be the day cricket would have died down in major nations. Due to genetics Indians can never become GOAT fast bowlers. A fact Indians need to admit as much as it hurts them,

Genetics? Lol

It has more to do with majority having vegetarian diet, and thats why thier bodies arent good enough for physical fitness they need for bowling

Batting is a total diff case, it has more to with techinqe and timing and they r alot less prone to injuries than bowlers

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Genetics? Lol

It has more to do with majority having vegetarian diet, and thats why thier bodies arent good enough for physical fitness they need for bowling

Batting is a total diff case, it has more to with techinqe and timing and they r alot less prone to injuries than bowlers

True that, without supplements being vegetarian/vegan is a complete no-no in sports.

 

[GrandMaster]

Nobody is best until someone plays minimum 50 Tests and averages 99.95.

Sir Don was is and will be the greatest. Nobody has even averaged 65, post Don Retirement.

Comparing Bradman to current generation batsmen is a joke. Bradman played only Test cricket, 90% of the games against the same opponent and possibly same bowlers.

Cricket has changed over the years. I doubt if he would have averaged even 70 if he would have played in the current era.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Kohli needs to be the man again for India at MCG.

 

[Savak]

Sure why not? India has always been a batting factory but my best guess is that India will produce very talented players pleasing to the eye but they will mostly fall in the T-20 and ODI category like Yuvraj, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan but will struggle in test cricket unless India plays 90% of its tests at home.

But i don't think any player can possibly have the same kind of insane work ethic towards fitness, skill development, hard work and practice behind the scenes like Kohli did, eventually the big bank accounts will catch up and the hunger for further hard work and development will wane like it does to the vast majority of players. But Kohli has left such a wonderful example and legacy, it would be a shame if no youngster can take inspiration from him.

 

[Adijazz1706]

Never knew Sunny was better than Viv, Sachin wasn't better than Lara in the 90s either. Along with being great in Tests, Lara ended 5 consecutive years as ODI no. 1 batsman in the 90s IIRC which is more than managed in his entire career.

 

[ILcricket]

Gavaskar , Sachin , Kohli - very tough act to follow .

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Sure why not? India has always been a batting factory but my best guess is that India will produce very talented players pleasing to the eye but they will mostly fall in the T-20 and ODI category like Yuvraj, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan but will struggle in test cricket unless India plays 90% of its tests at home.

But i don't think any player can possibly have the same kind of insane work ethic towards fitness, skill development, hard work and practice behind the scenes like Kohli did, eventually the big bank accounts will catch up and the hunger for further hard work and development will wane like it does to the vast majority of players. But Kohli has left such a wonderful example and legacy, it would be a shame if no youngster can take inspiration from him.

Lol 90% test at home. Use your upper part. Every team play same number of test on home and outside that's how system work, but if the glasses of hatred can see them.

 

[SLcric123]

Pakistan produced Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.

Then came Shoaib Akhtar who underachieved.

India had Sunil Gavaskar.

Then came Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

Then they have Virat Kohli obviously.

Young guys have shown potential but that is something we will get to know five years later.